Irreverent Persia

Invective, Satirical and Burlesque Poetry from the Origins to the Timurid Period (10th to 15th century)

Riccardo Zipoli

Publication Year: 2015

Poetry that uses satire, invective, and burlesque to criticize social, political, and cultural life has been a vital part of Persian literature for centuries. This anthology brings together some of the most impressive, important, and, crucially, irreverent poetry from major and minor poets from the earliest days of Persian poetry through the death of Jâmi in 1492, the moment when the classical era of Persian poetry ended.

Cover

Title Page, Copyright

Contents

Notes on Transliteration System, Dates and Biographical Information

Acknowledgements

I began this work in 1993 and, from the outset, I was lucky enough to rely
on the invaluable collaboration of my friend and colleague Hamid Rezâ
Bahârlu, who unfortunately died prematurely and whom I remember with...

Introduction

The texts presented here come from a little studied area of Persian literature
consisting of poems that reflect critical attitudes (ranging from gentle
irony to elaborate condemnation and even crude verbal aggression...

1. Invective Poetry

Such chastened restraint in this kind of composition is the exception rather
than the rule. Realistic pictures and caricatures are often characterised by
outrageous and obscene elements, such as scandalous descriptions of a...

2. Satirical Poetry

In this kind of compositions, the most common attitude towards patrons
(sovereigns, princes, ministers, etc., whose names may or may not be mentioned)
is that of disappointment and criticism for not having granted the...

3. Burlesque Poetry

Burlesque poetry is wide-ranging and embraces different kinds of humorous
re-workings of serious poetry, in terms of form and/or content. We
have already encountered features of this type in some of the...

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